Newsbrief: CVS wages war on corona

by Lo Jackson

(Photo: Christine Cramer)

CVS has stepped up in the fight against the coronavirus as they set up a COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of Twin River Casino in Rhode Island, according to NBC Boston, the Providence Journal, and WPRI-TV.

The testing stations are vital in the fight against the virus.

CVS will be able to accommodate 1,000 to 2,000 tests per day. That is twice as much as the state is currently testing.

“Think of this as the fast pass,” said Gov. Gina Raimondo. “People who are still going to work should go to the new CVS site, while those who are able to stay home to go to the traditional sites run by the state.”

With CVS’s new Abbott ID NOW system the process for testing patients will run quicker and results will come back faster.

According to CVS, “Positive results can be delivered in as little as five minutes and negative results in as little as 13 minutes”.

You do not have to be recommended by a doctor to get tested at this site. The test is free and all that CVS asks is that you sign up and schedule an appointment online at CVS.com. Patients can just wait in their car for results.

“The process will take approximately 30 minutes from the collection of the swab to the delivery of the results,” said senior director of corporate communication for CVS, Joe Goode.

CVS will soon be running a similar operation in Georgia to continue the fight against COVID-19.

“Today marks a giant leap forward in our efforts to combat this virus,” said Raimondo. “Making testing rapid and readily available is the key to slowly reopening our economy, and today we are one step closer to that goal.”

Thank you for reading. I hope all is well with you and your family. Remember to think about people you could be putting at risk when you don’t take the proper precautions and follow rules set by your state officials. – Lo Jackson